Gypsum Induced Strength Behaviour of Fly Ash-Lime Stabilized Expansive Soil

Physical and engineering properties of soil are improved with various binders and binder combinations. Fly ash and lime are commonly used to improve the properties of expansive soils. An attempt has been made, in this paper, to examine the role of gypsum on the physical and strength behaviour of fly ash-lime stabilized soil. The change in strength behaviour is studied at different curing periods up to 90 days, and the mechanism is elucidated through pH, mineralogical, microstructural and chemical composition study. The strength of soil-fly ash mixture has improved marginally with the addition of lime up to 4 % lime and with curing period for 28 day. Significant increase in strength has been observed with 6 % lime and enhanced significantly after curing for 90 days. The variations in the strength of soil with curing period is due to cation exchange and flocculation initially, and binding of particles with cementitious compounds formed after curing. With addition of 1 % gypsum to soil-fly ash-lime, the strength gain is accelerated as seen at 14 day curing. The accelerated strength early is due to formation of compacted structure with growth of ettringite needles within voids. However, strength at curing for 28 day has been declined due to annoyance of clay matrix with the increase in size of ettringite needle; and again increased after curing for 90 days. The rearrangement of clay matrix and suppression of sulphate effects with formation of cementitious compounds are observed and found to be the main responsible factors for strength recovered.     

Why Study the Sun?

In this presentation we briefly describe the Sun through large number of illustrations and pictures of the Sun taken from early times to the present day space missions. The importance of the study of the Sun is emphasized as it is the nearest star which presents unparallelled views of surface details and numerous phenomena. Our Sun offers a unique celestial laboratory where a large variety of phenomena take place, ranging in temporal domain from a few milliseconds to several decades, in spatial domain from a few hundred kilometers to thousands of kilometers, and in the temperature domain from a few thousand degrees to several million degrees. Its mass motion ranges from thousandths to thousands of kilometers per second. Such an object provides us with a unique laboratory to study the state of matter in the Universe. The existing solar ground-based and space missions have already revealed several mysteries of the outer environment of our Sun and much more is going to come in the near future from planned new sophisticated ground-based solar telescopes and Space missions. The new technique of helioseismology has unravelled many secrets of the solar interior and has put the Standard Solar Model (SSM) on firm footing. The long-standing problem of solar neutrinos has been recently sorted out, and even the ‘back side’ view of the Sun can be seen using the technique of holographic helioseismology.     

Spatiotemporal variations of the δ18O–salinity relation in the northern Indian Ocean

A new data set of oxygen isotopic composition (δ¹⁸O) and salinity (S) of surface and sub-surface waters of the northern Indian Ocean, collected during the period 1987–2009, is presented. While the results are consistent with positive P?E (excess of precipitation over evaporation) over the Bay of Bengal and negative P?E over the eastern Arabian Sea, a significant spatiotemporal variability in the slope (also intercept) of the δ¹⁸O–S relation is observed in the Bay; the temporal variability is difficult to discern in the Arabian Sea. The slope and intercept are positively and negatively correlated, respectively, with the annual rainfall over India, a rough measure of river runoff. Both the slope and intercept appear to be sensitive to rainfall; the slope (intercept) is higher (lower) during years of stronger monsoon. The observed variability in the δ¹⁸O–S relation implies that caution needs to be exercised in paleosalinity estimations, especially from the Bay of Bengal, based on δ¹⁸O of marine organisms.     

A self-similar flow behind a shock wave in a gravitating or non-gravitating gas with heat conduction and radiation heat-flux

The propagation of a spherical shock wave in an ideal gas with heat conduction and radiation heat-flux, and with or without self-gravitational effects, is investigated. The initial density of the gas is assumed to obey a power law. The heat conduction is expressed in terms of Fourier’s law and the radiation is considered to be of the diffusion type for an optically thick grey gas model. The thermal conductivity and the absorption coefficient are assumed to vary with temperature and density, and the total energy of the wave to vary with time. Similarity solutions are obtained and the effects of variation of the heat transfer parameters, the variation of initial density and the presence of self-gravitational field are investigated.     

Bearing capacity of square footings on reinforced layered soil

In the present study, an approximate method has been suggested to calculate the ultimate bearing capacity of a square footing resting on reinforced layered soil. The soil is reinforced with horizontal layers of reinforcement in the top layer of soil only. The pre requisite to the method is the ultimate bearing capacity of unreinforced layered soil, which can be determined from the methods already available in literature. The results have been validated with the model tests conducted on two layered soil compacted at different densities and the top layer reinforced with horizontal layers of geogrid reinforcement.     

Pressure–settlement characteristics of rectangular footings on reinforced sand

A method has been proposed to obtain the pressure–settlement characteristics of rectangular footings resting on reinforced sand based on constitutive laws of soils. The confining effect of the reinforcement provided in the soil at different layers has been incorporated in the analysis by considering the equivalent stresses generated due to friction at the soil– reinforcement interface. The prerequisite of the method is the value of ultimate bearing capacity, which can be obtained from the approaches already available in literature. The value of settlement may be read directly from pressure–settlement curves for the given pressure intensity. Therefore, the rectangular footing resting on reinforced sand can be proportioned satisfying shear failure and settlement criteria.     

Sunspot proper motions in active region NOAA 2372 and its flare activity during SMY period of 1980 April 4–13

Solar Active Region NOAA 2372 was observed extensively by the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) satellite and several ground-based observatories during 1980 April 4–13 in the Solar Maximum Year. After its birth around April 4, it underwent a rapid growth and produced a reported 84 flares in the course of its disc passage. In this paper, we have studied photospheric and chromospheric observations of this active region together with Marshall Space Flight Center magnetograms and X-ray data from HXIS aboard the SMM satellite. In particular, we discuss the relationship of the flare-productivity with sunspot proper motions and emergence of new regions of magnetic flux in the active region from its birth to its disappearance at the W-limb.     

Closely spaced rectangular footings on reinforced sand

In this paper, an analysis has been presented for calculating the pressure of an adjacent rectangular footing resting on reinforced sand for a given settlement. An approximate method has been suggested to compute the ultimate bearing capacity of adjacent footings resting on reinforced earth slab. The computation of normal force on the reinforcement area and estimation of interfacial friction coefficient at different layer levels are two essential steps in computation of pressure ratio. The process has been simplified by presenting suitable charts in non-dimensional form that can be directly used by practicing engineers.     

Cooling age record of domal uplift in the core of the Higher Himalayan Crystallines (HHC), southwest Zanskar, India

The cooling and tectonic history of the Higher Himalayan Crystallines (HHC) in southwest Zanskar (along the Kishtwar-Padam traverse) is constrained by K-Ar biotite and fission-track (FT) apatite and zircon ages. A total of nine biotite samples yields ages in the range of 14–24 Ma, indicating the post-metamorphic cooling of these rocks through ∼ 300°C in the Miocene. Overall, the ages become younger away from the Zanskar Shear Zone (ZSZ), which marks the basement-cover detachment fault between the HHC and the Tethyan sedimentary zone, towards the core of the HHC. The same pattern is also observed for the FT apatite ages, which record the cooling of the rocks through ∼ 120°C. The apatite ages range from 11 Ma in the vicinity of the ZSZ to 4 Ma at the granitic core of the HHC. This pattern of discordant cooling ages across the HHC in southwest Zanskar reveals an inversion of isotherms due to fast uplift-denudation (hence cooling) of the HHC core, which is, in turn, related to domal uplift within the HHC. The Chisoti granite gneiss is the exposed domal structure along the studied traverse. Cooling history of two granite gneisses at the core of the HHC is also quantified with the help of the biotite, zircon and apatite ages; the time-temperatures thus obtained indicate a rapid pulse of cooling at ∼ 6 Ma, related to accelerated uplift-denudation of the HHC core at this time. Long-term denudation rates of 0.5–0.7 mm/yr are estimated for the high-grade rocks of the Higher Himalaya in southwest Zanskar over the past 4.0–5.5 m.yr.     

Tectonics of the southern Asian Plate margin along the Karakoram Shear Zone: Constraints from field observations and U–Pb SHRIMP ages

New geological observations, recent published data and U–Pb SHRIMP zircon dating from the Karakoram Mountains along the Nubra and Shyok Rivers reveal that the initial subduction of the Tethyan oceanic lithosphere took place ~ 110 Ma beneath the Paleozoic–Mesozoic platform of the southern edge of the Asian Plate. This has produced the I-type plutons within the Karakoram Batholith Complex, well before the juxtaposition of the Asian Plate along the Karakoram Shear Zone. Within this shear zone, U–Pb zircon crystallisation ages of ~ 75 Ma from mylonitised granitoids and 68 Ma from undeformed Tirit granodiorite constrain the timing of suturing of the Karakoram terrain with the Trans-Himalaya between 75 and 68 Ma. Post-shearing leucogranite was episodically generated within frontal migmatised Karakoram Metamorphic Belt and emplaced between 20 and 13 Ma within the shear zone. Presence of a low resistivity zone as a possible indication of mid-crustal partial molten crust underneath the Higher Himalaya–Ladakh–Karakoram terrains manifests the impingement of the Indian Plate along the Main Himalayan Thrust at depth.

Physical continuity of the Baltoro granite belt into the Karakoram Batholith is established as well as the continuity of the Shyok suture as the Shiquanhe Suture Zone in western Tibet through the Chushul–Dungti sector. The Karakoram Shear Zone, therefore, displays a complex geological history of movements since ~ 75 Ma and plays a very significant role in the overall India–Asia convergence, rather than merely being a strike-slip fault for eastward extrusion of a segment of Asia in Tibet.